The Last Outlaw is a 1980 Australian four-part television miniseries based on the life of Ned Kelly. It was shot from February to May 1980 and the end of its original broadcast, in OctoberâÂÂNovember 1980, coincided with the centenary of Ned Kelly's death.
The mini-series was made by Pegasus Productions, the company of Ian Jones and Browyn Binns, who made the hugely popular mini-series Against the Wind. Jones had long been interested in the story of Ned Kelly and did extensive research. "I recognised the impossibility of his situation in a frontier society," said Jones. "He was the centre of a tragedy which could have been avoided." Jones wanted to make the series in part to make amends for his dissatisfaction with the 1970 film Ned Kelly.
Filming took six months.
The mini-series was considered a ratings disappointment, which Albert Moran blamed partly on its screening (deliberately) late in the year, to coincide with the centenary of Kelly's hanging. He reckoned it was superior to Against the Wind; Jarratt as Kelly was particularly impressive.
The complete miniseries was released on region 4 DVD in Australia by Umbrella Entertainment.